City Mouse
by LoveMyGalaxy
Summary: Newly graduated Fine Arts major Maya Hart takes a job teaching art to special needs children at a local elementary school in Austin, Texas hoping that a change of scenery and distance between her and her on-again off-again boyfriend will help her get her life in order. What she doesn't count on is the landlord's handsome young son, who throws her life right back into chaos.
1. Starting Over-ish

**A/N: Whoo! New story! I really shouldn't be starting any new stories but I've got about a hundred of these things sitting in my yet-to-be finished pile so I figured why not post one up for you guys haha. Hope you enjoy this AU!Lucaya fic. This one is my baby, so treat it well. Enjoy and let me know what you think :)**

In hindsight, packing up her life and moving to Texas in the middle of July probably wasn't the best idea she'd ever had. But she'd been so tired of the monotony of her life after graduation that when the opportunity had presented itself she'd grabbed it without a second thought. She'd packed up all of her worldly belongings and for the second time ever, left her life behind to embark on a new adventure in what Riley had called a "strange new land".

Which would explain how, after five hours of uncomfortable travel in the air and absurdly poor planning on her part, she ends up on the street in some dusty town with all of her belongings in sweltering Texas heat because her taxi driver refused to take her any further. After about twenty minutes of useless wandering up and down the street she's beginning to think she may just have to hoof it to her new pad and come back for the majority of her stuff later with her landlord.

So she resigns herself to the harrowing task of asking for directions from anyone who is willing to give her the time of day. That "anyone" turns out to be a handsome young man wearing a black felt cowboy hat who happened to come meandering out of the local post office at the precise moment she happened to be passing by.

Without hesitation she latches onto his arm and brandishes the tiny slip of paper with her new address on it, fully intent on asking for quick directions and letting him go on his way.

Until she looks up at him and her brain chooses that exact moment to short circuit. Handsome had been the mother of all understatements to describe him. This young man, with his blonde hair, vivid viridian eyes, smooth sun-kissed skin, and sexy Paul Walker scruff is a living, breathing Adonis.

He's tall, taller than her by at least a head and a half, and, from what she can feel of him through his shirt, made of very solid muscle. He's seemingly perfect and Maya thanks whatever superior being is running the show that this is a one time encounter because if they were living in close quarters she'd probably never be able to keep her hands off of him.

Also because he's looking at her like she's crazy and she would rather not have to explain why she's gaping. "Can I help you, Ma'am?"

That snaps her out of her daze fairly quickly and she shakes her head to clear out the cobwebs that had formed in her brain while she'd been staring at this unbelievably handsome cowboy. "Whoa, okay, two things Huckleberry. One, never call me ma'am. You can call me Maya or Miss Hart but never ever ma'am. Two, can you tell me how to get to 349 Westlake Terrace? I'm new around these parts and my taxi driver refused to go any further than the bus station, so I have to go meet with my landlord and see if she'll give me a ride back for my stuff."

The handsome cowboy just smirks and tips his hat at her. If Maya wasn't so overheated and tired she'd probably be swooning. "Ah. So you're the new tenant living in the guest house. Well Miss Hart, looks like you're in luck. Just let me go collect Edie and Titus and we can go get your things."

Immediately alarms start going off in her head. All she wanted was directions not a ride with some handsome stranger. "Whoa whoa wait. Go where? And who are Edie and Titus?"

The cowboy just winks at her and turns to face the candy shop a few doors down. "To your new home Miss Hart. Edie Mae! Titus! Time to go!"

As it turns out, Edie is an adorable little girl with sandy brown hair tied into two pigtails with little pink bows and big blue eyes just like Maya's. Titus on the other hand turns out to be Edie's big beautiful 90-pound German Shepherd escort.

The little girl comes running out of the shop giggling and waving a bag of candy in the air escorted by a pretty, older looking blonde woman and the dog trotting along beside her. "Daddy! Daddy look! Auntie Missy gave me treats!"

The pretty older woman, apparently named Missy, just laughs and points her finger at the cowboy before he can get a word in. "Lucas Friar, don't you dare tell her to give me that candy back. I'll not be made to feel guilty for spoilin' my beautiful little goddaughter when I see her. And Billy wanted me tell you that he'll be bringin' by some steaks later for Titus. Poor pooch is lookin' a fright these days! And who is this pretty little thing?"

Lucas just smiles and shakes his head as he bends down to collect the little girl into his strong arms. "She's the new tenant I was telling you about. The one moving into Lila's old place. You can interrogate her more at Nana Ruthie's birthday party tonight. Tell Billy I gotta talk to him about some stuff concerning the property, would ya?"

As he turns away to load the little girl and the dog into a surprisingly large truck, Maya is forced to make conversation with Missy, who looks positively elated for reasons yet unknown. "Well aren't you just cute as a button? Name's Marissa. Marissa Anne Ross, nee Bradford. But 'round these parts folks just call me Missy. I look forward to talking to you more later. If he tries to scare you off you come find me and I'll set him in his place, okay?"

The people in this town, Maya is quickly coming to realize, are extremely social beings. Especially the little girl waving excitedly from her car seat, her tiny little limbs flailing all about as she's buckled into place.

Which leaves Maya to just shrug hesitantly at Missy, because people skills are something she never really ever possessed. "Uhm... okay?"

Missy, taking her awkward response as some sort of confirmation, giggles and claps her hands excitedly before enveloping her in a bone-crushing hug. "Great! I gotta be headin' back to my shop but I'll see you around, alright? Don't you hesitate to come on by and visit if you're ever feelin' lonely Maya. Bye-bye Edie Mae! I'll see you tonight!"

With a bounce in her step, Missy wanders away back to her store, leaving Maya alone with Lucas and company. Of course, the moment she wanders away Lucas reappears with that amused smile on his face. "Shall we, Miss Hart?"

Still reeling from her encounter with Missy, Maya can only blink up at him in confusion through her big black rounded floral cat eye sunglasses. "Shall we what, Cowboy?"

Like it's the most obvious thing in the world, the tall handsome cowboy points over his shoulder at his much too large truck and smirks. "Get goin' Miss Hart. I reckon you'll want to collect your things and be at the house before sundown, so you can get settled in before the party tonight."

This of course peaks Maya's curiosity and makes her stomach churn uncomfortably. The whole reason she came to Texas in the first place was to avoid crazy parties and settle down. "I'm sorry... Party?"

Lucas just shrugs and grasps Maya's shoulders gently in his large, warm hands, steering her over to the passenger side of the truck as Titus chuffs at something random in the distance. "Well, sure. I imagine Mama told you when she agreed to let you take up Lila's old place. She likes to give her tenants a proper Southern welcome, which means that Nana Ruthie's 80th birthday party tonight is also your welcome party. So first things first, let's go get yer things and getcha all settled in to your new quarters."

Maya, of course, takes this news with the greatest indignity. Another reason she had packed up her life (twice now) and moved to places unknown was because she was sick and tired of people telling her what to do. She had a mind of her own and could think for herself, thank you very much.

And yet here she was letting some handsome stranger manhandle her while he told her what to do. "Hey, now, wait a minute, Huckleberry! I never agreed to any of this! I just asked for some directions!"

Ignoring her indignant outburst, Lucas just lifts her effortlessly into the car and straps her into the front passenger seat. Climbing into the driver's seat, he tilts his hat at her and winks as the engine roars to life. "Welcome to Austin, Miss Hart."

Although she would love nothing more than to wipe that smile off of his face, he and she both know that he's the best chance she's got at making it to her new place without issue. So Maya just huffs angrily and crosses her arms over her chest, resigning herself to her fate.

Stupid Huckleberry.


	2. Home On The Range

**A/N 1: Holy Heisenberg Batman! I blinked and an entire year flew right by me! Oops. Hopefully this update makes up for it. Sorry for the crappy rushed ending.**

 **A/N2: I got asked last chapter by a reviewer why I decided to name the title of this story (and nickname Maya) City Mouse. I first heard this little nickname on Modern Family, when Cam and Mitch went back to Missouri with Lily and Cam called Mitch a "city mouse". Then, in one of the adult books I just finished, the main character called his lady love, a petite little thing from the countryside, Mouse. Naturally I thought it was the cutest thing ever.**

 **So I decided to look up the definition of mousy, and found the definition, "** **A mousy girl is a girl who is small, petite, and adorable. However, she has no distinguishing features. A wallflower. A girl who is delicate in appearance.." Now we all know that Maya definitely has distinguishing features, and we know that she most certainly is not a wallflower. BUT she is definitely small, petite, and adorable. And she definitely looks delicate, even if she is a little spitfire.**

 **At which point, I figured it fit and it was super adorbs so what the hell, why not? Thus, City Mouse was conceived. Now that know you how my brainchild came to be, onwards with the story!**

* * *

It takes an hour driving down a winding dirt path, through miles of trees and past at least a dozen ranches before they reach a beautiful estate near the edge of the lake. The property itself is vast and more gorgeous than Maya remembers it being in the pictures, with big steel gates and horses roaming around in the distance.

On the west end, furthest from the lake, is what she assumes to be the main house, a big three story structure painted a pale yellow with white embellishments, with big double doors and a stunning front porch. It's surrounded by trees and guarded by a lazy black and red Australian Shepherd who lifts her head to watch them as they roll through the gates.

Tucked away on the east end of the property, behind some trees and closest to the lake, is Maya's new home. A charming little two story cottage painted laurel green with cream accents and a lovely white porch swing on the front porch. It's quaint and secluded and exactly what she needs to start her new life.

But part of her must still be attached to her old life because the moment she tries to wriggle her way out of the truck, her foot catches on the step and she falls face first onto the dirt.

From somewhere behind her she can hear the stupid cowboy laughing at her and if she weren't busy trying to erect herself she would smack him. So she settles for throwing her shoe at him instead.

It smacks him in the chest and falls to the ground with a dull thunk. "Shut up, Huckleberry. This isn't funny."

Lucas on the other hand finds the whole situation entirely amusing, smiling as he drops down onto his haunches and wraps his hands gently around her ankle to free her. "On the contrary, Miss Hart. If you can't even make it out of a standard truck without hurtin' yourself, I can't wait to see how a little city mouse like you survives round these parts."

The moment he frees her from his truck and flips her onto her back, she tries to wrestle her foot free so that she can kick him but he doesn't even break a sweat holding onto her ankle. "Go to hell, Hopalong."

Ignoring her angry mutterings, Lucas turns her ankle over gently in his hands, running his fingers along the sole of her foot as he bends it this way and that to gauge her reaction. When she barely reacts, he sets her foot down the ground and slides her shoe back on. "Well, City Mouse, looks like you'll be okay. Just a minor sprain s'all. A medical wrap and some ice and you'll be right as rain by mornin'. But for right now, you're gonna have to keep off of that foot. Doctor's orders."

At that, Maya snorts and pushes herself up to a sitting position. "You're a doctor? Really?"

Sliding an arm around her waist and the other underneath her knees, he lifts her into his arms and winks at her as he starts for the porch swing. "Yes ma'am. DVM."

As soon as it sinks in, Maya snickers and rolls her eyes. "Oh great! Now I know who to call if Bailey ever gets sick."

Depositing her gently onto the porch swing, Lucas just shakes his head and disappears into the house, reappearing a few moments later with an ice pack and an ACE bandage wrap. "I still can't believe Mama let you bring that little girl here. Lila hates animals and if she knew a dog was living in her home she would be angrier than a bull at the rodeo."

As if on cue, a small bark rings out from inside the truck and Maya has to resist the urge to smirk. "I promised your mother that Bailey would be on her absolute best behavior. Besides, from what I heard, it doesn't sound like Lila is coming back any time soon."

When he finishes wrapping her ankle up and securing the ice-pack, Lucas puts the first aid kit away and makes his way back over to the truck. A moment later he comes back with Edie in one arm, Bailey tucked under the other, and Titus lumbering along behind them.

The next thing Maya knows she's got a lap full of excited little girl and her foot propped up on a German Shepherd footrest. "Now listen Edie, since Miss Maya is hurt, I need you to sit here and keep her company while I bring her stuff into the house okay? Can you do that for me Sweetheart?"

Edie nods her head vigorously and giggles when her father presses a kiss to her forehead. At their feet, Titus settles in for a nap, snuffling and sprawling out on his side. "Yes, Daddy!"

While Lucas sets about bringing Maya's things in from the truck under the watchful eye of Bailey, who dutifully follows him to and from his truck, his daughter takes it upon herself to entertain Maya with some crayons and a sketchpad.

Edie, Maya finds, is the sweetest little girl. She talks and talks while they color a picture of a snowman together and even offers up a gummy bear from her bag of sweets.

Ten minutes go by relatively pleasantly before the little girl starts growing restless so her father brings her a glass of water and she settles down. But then another ten minutes go by and she starts getting really finicky, shoving her crayons all over the floor as she starts to cry.

A quick look at her watch tells Maya that it's well past naptime, so she readjusts Edie in her lap and slips the little pink glasses off of her nose, cradling her to her chest like an infant as she sings softly to the fussy child. Three lines in and the little girl is fast asleep, snuggled against her chest. "Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, there's a land that I've heard of, once in a lullaby. Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true. Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me.."

Watching Edie sleep awakens in Maya a maternal affection she didn't know she was capable of feeling. It brings back an old conversation she'd once had with Riley about having kids. It reminds her how badly she wants children of her own, but she knows better. She knows better than to bring a child into the world given her messed up life.

So she'd settled on a career as a teacher instead, and looking down at Edie she knows she made the right decision. She knows she isn't meant to be a mother, no matter what her friends and family tell her. No matter how badly she wants it. It just isn't in the cards.

Even as she holds Edie in her arms, even as her ovaries are screaming at her to settle down and start a family, even as every instinct tells her that she deserves to have children of her own, she refuses to give in. Even as the tears slide down her cheeks, she wipes them away and forces the dream of having a little girl with her eyes and her wild blonde curls out of her mind.

She just snuggles Edie closer and tucks a stray lock of sandy brown hair behind a tiny little pierced ear. "You are a beautiful, lucky little girl Edie Mae. Don't you ever forget that."

From the kitchen window, having finished moving the boxes and putting everything away, Lucas watches with a solemn expression as Edie, for the first time in her young life, gets a taste of having a mother. He watches Maya color image after image with his daughter, laughing and smiling with the little girl in her lap.

When the crayons go sailing across the floor, he makes a move to go collect his daughter but freezes when he sees how Maya reacts. Like an experienced mother, she calmly assesses the situation and puts Edie down for her nap singing a song that he hasn't heard since he was a little boy.

The affection glowing in her eyes for a little girl she just met makes his heart clench painfully and he wishes to God that he had chosen a better woman than the one who had abandoned a six month old infant. A woman like the one currently nestling his daughter in her arms.

Clearly she was going to be an amazing mother one day. A loving mother that any child would be lucky to have. The kind of mother Edie deserved. The kind of mother she should have and would have had if her own hadn't walked out on her the moment she found out her child wasn't normal.

But could haves, would haves, and should haves are all things of the past. Things that he can no longer control or change. All he can do now is focus on his daughter and try to make up for her not having a mother. So he pushes down all the feelings of anger and resentment bubbling up inside of him and makes his way outside to collect his sleeping child with an excited puppy on his heels.

Lifting Edie into his arms, Lucas smiles down at Maya and thanks her for taking care of his daughter. "Thank you for watchin' Edie, Miss Hart. I know she can be a handful sometimes. Let me just go put her into her carseat and I'll help you into the house."

Maya just smiles up at him and waves him off. "It was my pleasure. She's such a sweet little girl, no trouble at all. But she seems pretty worn out so why don't you guys just go on home. I think I can hobble my way into the house just fine."

Tipping his hat at her one last time, he adjusts Edie in his arms and fishes his keys out of his pockets. "Well alright. I guess we'll just be gettin' out of your hair then, let you get cleaned up and get some rest. We'll come gather you roundabouts 7:00 for the party. Don't wanna be hobblin' across the property with that ankle of yours the way it is."

It should be a surprise to her that he's insisting on driving her across the property, but it's not. Despite his outward appearance, something in her tells Maya that he's actually quite the gentleman. So she just smiles up at him amusedly and feigns annoyance. "I don't suppose I can argue my way out of this, so if you insist on inconveniencing yourself then who am I to stop you? By all means, come back at 7. I'll be all dolled up and ready to go."

Lucas just tips his cowboy hat at her one more time and heads for his car with Titus in tow. As soon as she can't see the truck anymore, Maya pushes herself off of the porch swing and hobbles inside to explore her new home.

And explore it she does.

She visits every room, every nook and cranny in the house, and declares each room for a certain purpose. Like the single bedroom upstairs next to the new master, which Maya decides will be the room reserved especially for Riley. Or the room downstairs adjacent to the living room, with the double sliding doors that open up into a spacious den, which Maya decides will be her private art studio. Even the room across from her new studio, which she reserves as her home office, and the remaining room upstairs which she deigns to be the guest bedroom.

Every room, each with its own purpose, all hers. For the very first time, Maya Hart has a place which she can call her own. A place that she can make into a home and she's reveling in it. In the veranda outside the master bedroom with the spectacular view, the big yard for Bailey to run around in, the living room with the big tv where she can veg out at night to her favorite shows.

By the end of her tour, she ends up sprawled across her big bed with a smarting ankle. So she runs herself a nice warm bubble bath and soaks her entire body in the rose-scented suds. She soaks for a good hour until her fingers and toes are pruny, and then she lets the tub drain as she rummages through her suitcase for an outfit for the evening.

Eventually, she settles on a sleeveless empire-waist shirt dress with a denim bodice and a flowing beige organza sheath skirt that stops just above her knees, and styles her hair into a half-up waterfall braid wrapping around the crown of her head. As soon as her hair is done she plops on a chocolate colored felt gallon hat that Riley had sent her as a gag and a pair of British Martin beige high-heel ankle boots she'd found in a little boutique in California.

She touches up her make-up, examines herself in the mirror one last time and smiles. She looks like a proper Southern belle.

When she's satisfied she makes her way down stairs and sits on the porch swing to wait for her ride, enjoying the warm Texas evening. She watches the sun setting beyond the horizon and remembers why she chose to move to this dusty little town in the middle of nowhere. Because it's beautiful and picturesque and exactly what she needs to start over again.

But it's not so much the beauty as it is the quiet. After all the noise she's had in her life, she needs the silence to collect herself and clear her head. So she absolutely soaks it up, closing her eyes and reveling in the sound of nothing. Loses herself in the sounds of the wind rustling through the tree leaves and crickets beginning their evening ballads.

She loses herself so deeply in the peace that surrounds her that she actually nods off for a good while with Bailey in her lap, and rouses just in time to see Lucas puttering down the dirt path in a golf cart. His rugged 6ft-plus frame looks so absurdly silly in that little golf cart that Maya can't help the smile on her face as he pulls up to her front porch and tilts his hat at her. "A golf cart, Huckleberry? Really?"

Lucas just shrugs and pats the empty spot next to him in the golf cart. "Well sure. I usually just hoof it but seeing as you sprained your ankle gettin' out of the car I figured you might appreciate the ride. Wasn't nearly long enough to warrant takin' the car, so I borrowed Nana's golf-cart special just for you. Let's get goin' shall we?"

With an amused shake of her head, Maya makes her way down the few steps of her porch with Bailey in her arms and climbs into the golf-cart. She doesn't bother to hold back the teasing comment on the tip of her tongue. "You know you look ridiculous in this thing right?"

Pointedly ignoring her remark, he turns the little golf cart around and heads for the house.

The drive itself is short, not more than five minutes, and when they pull up to the main house Maya feels the color drain from her cheeks just a little bit. The glorious Friar estate is teeming with people and various activities. "My god your family is atrociously large. How do you all fit in that house?"

The chuckle that rumbles low in his chest makes Maya's heart do an odd little flip flop which she ignores in favor of listening to him explain the vast amount of people pouring in and out of his house. "My Pappy Joe once told me, 'Family don't end in blood, but it don't start there neither. Family cares about you, not what you can do for them'. Half these folks may not be blood, but I'll be damned if they aren't family. Come on, I'll show you around." **[A/N: Cookies to anyone who knows where I got that quote from! ;)]**

Leaving the golf cart behind, they make their way into the house, Bailey barking happily as Titus and the Australian Shepherd from earlier come wandering out of the house to greet them. "You remember Titus, Miss Hart. This little girl right here is Nana Ruthie's dog, Maggie. Been with us since she was a pup, but she's gettin' on in the years so she doesn't do much these days 'cept sit around and people watch from the porch."

The three dogs become fast friends so Maya leaves Bailey outside in favor of following Lucas into the house, where she is promptly assaulted by the sound of children screeching in glee at a man dancing around the living room in a clown costume. "What the-"

A broad grin makes its way across Lucas' handsome face as he points to the man in the clown costume. "That right there is Cletis. He and Pappy Joe grew up together on the other side of town. Cletis is a little bit slow, so he got picked on a lot in school. One day Pappy Joe stood up for him and fought off his bullies. The man's been as loyal as a Golden Retriever ever since. The little ones are my nieces and nephews."

The sheer volume of children scurrying around the living room has Maya spinning. There had to be at least a dozen little green-eyed children running around. "Good God, Huckleberry. Just how many of you are there?"

Lucas just shrugs and puts a hand on the small of her back, propelling her towards the kitchen and away from the screaming children. "We'll get you acquainted with the little ones later. First things first, I'm gonna get you acquainted with the woman responsible for this chaos."

As the sound of children shrieking in glee begins to overwhelm her, Maya finds herself being nudged through a pair of swinging doors into what she will later describe to Riley as 'the Promise Land'. Said 'Promise Land' is the Friar family kitchen, teeming with Friar women of various ages and in various stages of obvious pregnancy led by a woman at the end of the large island with a wooden spatula in her hand and Edie next to her on the counter.

A woman who is identified by Lucas as his one and only mother. "Maya, this is my mama, Kristina Beth Friar. Mama, this is Maya, the new tenant living in Lila's old place."

Suddenly, Lucas' Adonis like appearance makes a little bit more sense.

His mother is the very epitome of beauty and grace, with her shoulder length dark blonde curls, warm blue eyes, and voluptuous petite form. Her perfectly white teeth glitter between a pair of pretty pink lips as she smiles. "Well aren't you just a doll? You're the prettiest little thing I ever did see! I'm just pleased as punch to welcome you to the ranch!"

Maya allows herself to be enveloped in a bone crushing hug and tries her best to return the older woman's enthusiasm, laughing in a way that she hopes isn't awkward. "Thank you for having me, . And thank you for letting me bring Bailey."

The formal title has Lucas' mother pouting playfully as she waves a finger in Maya's face. "Oh now, none of that cold city slicker nonsense! is my mother-in-law, and not even she likes being called that. Folks 'round these parts just call her Nana and me Mama, or Kitty to some. And that's what you'll call us, alright? "

In that one brief moment Maya finds herself a little bit envious of all the warmth and happiness emanating from the Friar house. But she is at the same time grateful to be able to have a taste of the family she's yearned for since she was a little girl living with her mother in their rundown apartment.

So she smiles and addresses the older woman as she wishes. "Of course, Kitty. Now, is there anything I can help out with?"

Kristina just smiles and waves her spoon playfully at her new tenant. "Nonsense. You'll do no such thing. Lucas here is going to finish giving you a tour of the property, I'm going to get Edie washed up while the girls and Nana finish up in here, and we'll all sit down for a nice dinner."

A sound plan if she's ever heard one. "Okay then. Sounds like a plan."

Of course, no matter how sound a plan one might have, there exists Murphy's law for a reason. And that law comes into play not more than twenty seconds later when of the ovens starts smoking and one of the girls starts fanning the oven frantically while another pulls something out of it and plops onto the counter. "Dang it. Aunt Kitty the scallop potatoes are ruined!"

That same instance a young farm hand comes in from the back door covered in muck. "Lucas, one of the stallions is at it again. It jumped the fence and is runnin' circles round the property. And Pippi's gettin' ready to foal but seems like she's havin' a difficult time of it. I called for the doc but he reckons it'll be at least another 45 minutes before he can get out here."

Just like that all of Kristina's carefully laid plans are laid to waste. But neither mother nor child seem at all flustered as they immediately leap into action.

Lucas tells Maya that he'll be back in a bit and takes his leave with the young farm hand tend to the horses while his mother rolls up her sleeves in preparation to make another dish of scalloped potatoes.

But then she sees her granddaughter sitting on the counter covered in flower and hesitates.

Which is when Maya steps up and offers to help out. "I would be more than happy to get Edie washed up while you finish dinner. It looks like they could really use your help."

Kristina smiles gratefully at her new tenant and crushes her in yet another hug. "Bless your little heart. I'd be much obliged if you could get her washed up for dinner. Her room has a private bathroom that you can use, it's the third door on your left once you get up the stairs."

While the older woman bustles away to resolve the potato crisis, Maya approaches Edie with her arms outstretched and a soft smile on her face. "Well Edie, it's just you and me cowgirl. How about I take you upstairs and get you all washed up, okay?"

Edie, covered head to toe in flour, pouts and shakes her head in vigorous rejection. "No! No bath!"

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun! I'll put in lots of bubbles and toys for you!"

"Bubbles?"

At the mention of a bubble bath, Edie's little face scrunches in confusion.

But then she decides that bubbles must be something fun, so she drops the spatula clutched in her tiny hands and extends her little arms out to Maya.

With the little girl safely settled on her hip, Maya makes her way upstairs and runs a warm bath filled with strawberry scented bath bubbles and rubber duckies.

Edie positively enjoys the bath. She flails her little arms around sending soap bubbles everywhere and giggles when one of them lands on the very tip of Maya's nose before disappearing.

Half an hour later little Edie is clean and dressed in an adorable little dress with a denim vest and colorful floral print blush colored skirt that stops just below her knees. Her pretty blonde curls are tamed into an adorable little French pigtail braids tied off with pink and white bows to compliment the adorable little white Mary Janes with floral straps on her feet.

Satisfied with her work, Maya sits Edie on her hip once more and makes her way downstairs to the rest of the Friar family.

Just as they make it down to the living room Lucas comes walking through the kitchen door and stops in his tracks when he sees the two girls.

His heart squeezes when he sees his daughter nestled so comfortably in Maya's arms, her little head pillowed in the crook of her neck. It squeezes because for the first time in her whole life his daughter doesn't look like the child of a hopeless single father.

She's dressed to the nines in a dress he hadn't even known she owned and her purple sparkly glasses are for once sitting neatly on her little button nose instead of skewed like they usually are. Her little white shoes are polished and her hair is so neatly styled.

For once in her life his little girl looks just like a little girl who has a mother to dress her up and do her hair.

But before he has a chance to further appreciate how well kempt his daughter looks, all hell breaks loose.

All the activity in the Friar house comes to a screeching halt as the door flies open revealing an unexpected and unwelcome guest.

A deafening silence takes over the large home as the blonde supermodel looking young woman lifts her white oversized sunglasses and perches them on her head, a smirk playing on her bright red lips.

"Mama's home."


End file.
